Howard Zinn passed away two years ago this week, on 27 January 2009. To mark the occasion, world-renowned scholar and activist Noam Chomsky has penned a moving tribute to his friend, published on the Al-Jazeera English website. It is, at times, a highly personal note, for instance when Chomsky notes:

“Howard’s dedicated activism continued, literally without a break, until the very end, even in his last years, when he was suffering from severe infirmity and personal loss – though one would hardly know it when meeting him or watching him speaking tirelessly to captivated audiences all over the country.”

It is hard reading the piece without noting some powerful, striking parallels: what Chomsky says about Zinn could easily have been said by Zinn (and many others) about Chomsky. for instance:

“Whenever there was a struggle for peace and justice, Howard was there, on the front lines, unflagging in his enthusiasm, and inspiring in his integrity, engagement, eloquence and insight; a light touch of humour in the face of adversity, and dedication to non-violence and sheer decency. It is hard even to imagine how many young people’s lives were touched, and how deeply, by his achievements, both in his work and his life.”